BACKGROUND: Determination of left ventricular(LV) myocardial mass with echocardioraphy is feasible and validated. American society of echocardiography(ASE) issued recommendations for the quantitation of the left ventricle by M-mode and 2-dimensional echocardiography in 1978 and 1989, respectively. Although some controversies exist regarding the relative accuracy of M-mode and 2-dimensional techniques, many workers now agree that 2-dimensional methods are more accurate and can be applied to a higher percentage of patients. But sometimes the validated methods are not optimal when parasternal short axis view is difficult to obtain, when the ventricle is distorted, or when scar tissue constitutes a portion of the myocardial volume. METHODS: We measured left ventricular mass in 72 normal subjects using three different methods-ASE cube method with correction in M-mode(method A), area-length method from parasternal short axis view and apical four chamber view(method B), and the method using Simpson's rule from apical four chamber view(method C). RESULTS: 1) LV mass(index) was 161.8+/-30.3g(98.7+/-15.6g/m2) by method A, 166.2+/-32.8g(101.2+/-16.5g/m2) by method B, and 161.2+/-31.8g(98.2+/-15.5g/m2) by method C. 2) LV mass or index by method B was significantly different from that by method A(p<0.001) and from that by method C(p<0.001). However there was no significant difference in LV mass or index between by method A and C(p>0.05). 3) There was a strong correlation between LV mass or index by the method A and B(r=0.873, p<0.001), by the method B and C(r=0.923, p<0.001), and by the A and C(r=0.945, p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: It is suggested that the method using Simpson's rule can reliably assess LV mass, although it results in smaller value that that by area-length method.
Axis, Cervical Vertebra ; Cicatrix ; Echocardiography* ; Heart Ventricles ; Humans

Granular cell tumor is one of the rare tumorous condition. At present there are estimated 600 reported examples of the tumor in the medical literature. Malignant granular cell tumor is a well established but extremely rare entity that is found in appr- oximately 2 % of all granular cell tumor. Diagnosis should be restricted to neoplasms that are similar in their histological appearance to benign granular cell tumors but can be seperated on the basis of cellular pleomorphism, mitotic activity, and, most importantly, their capacity to produce metastases. The authors had experienced that a 55 years old male patient had two large malignant granular cell tumors at the left thigh and left inguinal area with metastatic lesion.
Diagnosis ; Granular Cell Tumor ; Humans ; Male ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Thigh

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to explore the effects of attitude to death in hospice and palliative professionals on their terminal care stress, and to analyze relationships among variables related to the two aforementioned parameters, such as depression and coping strategies. METHODS: Participants were 131 hospice and palliative professionals from the cancer units of two tertiary hospitals and two general hospitals, two hospice facilities, two geriatric hospitals, and two convalescent hospitals in J province. Data were collected from April through June 2015 and analyzed using t-test, factor analysis, ANOVA (Scheffe test), ANCOVA, and Pearson's correlation and a path analysis using the SPSS/WIN 21.0 and AMOS 18.0 programs. RESULTS: The score for attitude to death was low (2.63), and that for depression was 0.45. Among all, 16.0% of the participants showed need for depression management. They scored 3.82 on terminal care stress. The subcategory with the highest mark was inner conflicts on limitation given availability of medical services (4.04). The score on coping strategy was low (3.13). They used passive coping strategies such as interpersonal avoidance (4.03), fulfilling basic needs (3.65) such as sleeping or eating. Attitudes to death had a direct negative effect on the terminal care stress level and indirectly affected through depression and fulfilling basic needs (CS2). CONCLUSION: It is necessary to provide hospice and palliative professionals with education on death and dying, as well as access to programs that provide emotional support and promote positive cognition of death and dying.
Attitude to Death* ; Cognition ; Depression ; Eating ; Education ; Hospices* ; Hospitals, Convalescent ; Hospitals, General ; Terminal Care* ; Tertiary Care Centers

Behcet's disease is an inflammatory condition of multiple organ systems in witch recurrent oral and genital ulcers are the most typical signs. Less common clinical features include cerebral vasculitis, arterial aneurysm, deep vein phlebitis, aseptic meningitis, and discrete bowel ulcers. The most serious complication of Behcet's disease is arterial involvement especially ruptured arterial aneurysm. The aneurysm of sinus of Valsalva in Behcet's disease is a rare condition. There is no report about it in Korea. We report a case of a aneurysm of the sinus of valsalva with Behcet's disease. The patient had complete AV block and a right coronary sinus of Valsalva aneurysm which ruptured into the left ventricle. The diagnosis was made with transesophageal echocardiography. The patient was implanted with permanent pacemaker for relief of congestive heart failure due to complete atrioventricular (AV) block. He discharged and he is still follow-up in outpatient clinic.
Ambulatory Care Facilities ; Aneurysm ; Aneurysm, Ruptured* ; Atrioventricular Block* ; Behcet Syndrome* ; Coronary Sinus ; Diagnosis ; Echocardiography, Transesophageal ; Follow-Up Studies ; Heart Failure ; Heart Ventricles* ; Humans ; Korea ; Meningitis, Aseptic ; Phlebitis ; Sinus of Valsalva* ; Ulcer ; Vasculitis, Central Nervous System ; Veins

No abstract available.
Child* ; Humans ; Mycoplasma pneumoniae* ; Mycoplasma* ; Pneumonia* ; Pneumonia, Mycoplasma*

No abstract available.
Blood Donors* ; Female ; Humans ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Trimester, Third* ; Pregnancy*

Slowing in forearm median nerve conduction in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome(CTS) has been described. But the cause of slowing is still unclear whether it is related to a technical artifact on electrodiagnostic appr oach or pathophysiologic changes in the proximal segment of median nerve. To investigate the possible retrograde degeneration of median nerve in the forearm segment(wrist to elbow) in patients with known carpal tunnel syndrome, the median nerve conduction studies were performed in 23 normal persons as control and 25 patients with carpal tunnel syndrome. To evaluate the median nerve conductions in the forearm, the recording bar-electrode were placed at the volar aspect of the wrist and stimulating electrodes were applied at the elbow area. The mixed nerve action potentials and conduction velocities were measured. The median mixed nerve action potential(FNAP) amplitudes recorded at the wrist and motor nerve conduction velocity(MMCV) in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome patients were significantly reduced compared to those of control group(p<0.05). However, the median mixed nerve conduction velocity(FNCV) was not reduced significantly. The median mixed nerve action potential amplitudes demonstrated positive correlation with the decrease of motor and sensory action potential amplitudes and velocities. This result suggests that the retrograde degeneration progresses as the carpal tunnel syndrome progresses and the retrograde degeneration may play a major role in reduced motor nerve conduction velocity of the median nerve in the forearm. We propose that FNAP amplitude and MMCV might be used to evaluate the severity of retrograde degeneration in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome.
Action Potentials ; Artifacts ; Carpal Tunnel Syndrome* ; Elbow ; Electrodes ; Forearm ; Humans ; Median Nerve ; Neural Conduction ; Retrograde Degeneration ; Wrist

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the usability of near-nerve needle recording techniques in cases of unrecordable sensory nerve action potentials (SNAPs) with a surface electrode and to determine a proper alternative value of the missing latencies. METHOD: Twenty six hands of 23 patients with a carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) and an unobtainable median SNAP by surface electrode were evaluated by the near-nerve needle recording of median SNAPs. Using the nerve conduction data of 113 patients with CTS, we have established 3 alternative values: maximal, 95 percentile and predictive latencies. The alternative values were compared with the mean onset latencies by the near-nerve needle recordings of median SNAPs. RESULTS: Median SNAPs were obtainable in the 22 out of 26 hands by the near-nerve recording technique. The mean onset latency was 5.51+/-0.36 ms. The alternative values from 113 patients with CTS were as follows: maximum latency, 6.9 ms; 95 percentile latency, 5.6 ms; and predictive latency, 5.52 ms (Y = 0.123x X 5.52491; Y, onset latency; X, amplitude; r2=0.564; p=0.00). The Predictive latency was nearest to the mean onset latency. CONCLUSION: To minimize the selection bias and statistical errors, the near nerve recording techniques proved to be a valuable method in cases of unrecordable SNAPs with surface electrode. For compensation of missing data, a proper alternative value can be obtained by the predictive latency calculated from a linear regression.
Action Potentials ; Carpal Tunnel Syndrome ; Compensation and Redress ; Electrodes ; Hand ; Humans ; Linear Models ; Needles ; Neural Conduction ; Selection Bias

Background: Brain MRI may unexpectedly display abnormalities in splenium of the corpus callosum (SCC). However, the clinical implications of this lesion are unclear and are not always consistent with ischemic infarctions. We performed this study to clarify the clinical and radiological implications in patients with SCC lesions. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed consecutive patients with MRIreported SCC changes between 2009 and 2012. We analyzed clinical and radiological findings, etiologies, cognitive impairment, and clinical outcomes. Results: We found 30 patients (16 females; mean 50.5 years) who had SCC lesions on MRI. Confusion was the most common clinical finding in 50% of cases. Cerebral infarction was the most common etiology (50%). The most consistent SCC changes on MRI were low signal in T1WI, high signal on T2WI and FLAIR, and high signal on DWI. We classified SCC lesions into in situ SCC lesions (SCC only) and multiple (SCC plus) lesions for patients with multiple lesions. The clinical symptoms of SCC only lesions were relatively mild. Cognitive functions were evaluated by Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) and clinical dementia rating (CDR) scale at the time of discharge and patients with SCC only lesions showed less impaired cognition compared with those with SCC plus lesions. Clinical outcomes were evaluated by the modified Rankin scale at 1 month and patients with SCC only lesions revealed good clinical outcomes compared with those with SCC plus lesions. Conclusions: MRI-reported SCC lesions may have heterogeneous etiologies and present with various symptoms. The clinical course and outcome are relatively good, particularly in small isolated and oval shaped SCC lesions.

Background & Objective: Hiccups is a disabling condition of lateral medullary infarction (LMI). Unlike other symptoms of LMI, the anatomical lesions of hiccups are not well known. Few studies have evaluated the relationship between the lesional location of LMI and hiccups. We performed this study to correlate hiccups and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based lesional location in pure LMI. Methods: Between January 1997 and February 2013, we identified 24 patients with pure LMI who presented with hiccups in addition to typical lateral medullary syndrome. Sixty six pure LMI patients without hiccups were included as a control group. Clinical and radiologic findings were compared between the two groups. MRI-identified lesions were classified rostrocaudally as rostral, middle and caudal, and horizontally as typical, ventral, large, lateral and dorsal. Results: The pure LMI patients with hiccups had significantly more frequent aspiration pneumonia (P = 0.001) and longer hospital stay (P = 0.03). The patients with hiccups significantly more often had dorsal rather than ventral lesion at horizontal levels (P = 0.012). But, there were no rostro-caudal differences at vertical levels (P = 0.162). Conclusions: We suggest that pure LMI associated with hiccups often locates in the dorsal medulla at horizontal correlation. This MRI-based comparative study has advanced the understanding of the neural substrate for hiccups in LMI, and indicates that hiccups become predictable when specific lesional locations in the lateral medulla are considered.